This invention relates generally to wrist instruments including timekeeping devices and more particularly to an improved wristwatch radiotelephone.
The circuitry, network switching equipment and techniques for linking mobile radiotelephones to communications networks are highly developed. Also miniaturization of radiotelephones and their components have taken place in both paging receivers and in data communications transmitters. The requirements of a minimum space between a telephone mouthpiece and an earpiece and the need to support the device with the hand has led to a more or less standard accepted conventional shape for a telephone handset, be it for a desk unit or a portable wireless telephone. In some case, folding units have been used, as disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,493 - Schober, which incorporates a self-contained dipole antenna in a hinged cover a radiotelephone remote unit.
An example of miniaturized circuitry for portable or mobile transceivers which might be used in a cellular-type radio telephone system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,624 - Puhl, et al, assigned to Motorola, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Major components are a microphone, a speaker, a keyboard, a display, an antenna, a power supply, switches a microprocessor, and other circuitry and components necessary to interface and interconnect the components.
It is well known to integrate the components of an electronic timepiece with a radio receiver as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,004 - Natori, issued Feb. 10, 1976, or to integrate a digital watch with a transmitter as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,410 - Welling, issued Dec. 20, 1977, or to incorporate the antenna for either a transmitter or a receiver into a wristwatch band as disclosd in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,285 - Robitaille, issued June 28, 1988, and assigned to the present assignee. It is also known to interconnect modules such as a battery container or keyboard to a wristwatch casing where the modules, such as a battery container or keyboard are spaced from the casing on a strap and connected thereto by conductors embedded within the strap, typical constructions being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,355 - Nishida, issued March 25, 1980, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,303 - Matthias, issued Jan. 24, 1984, or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,827 -Hirsch, et al, issued May 6, 1986.
None of the foregoing constructions offer any solution to the problem of simultaneous usage of the earphone and mouthpiece in a wristwatch radiotelephone. U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,651 - Jisiger - Stahli, et al, discloses a wrist-carried radio set with antenna and loudspeaker embedded in the attachment strap, wherein the loudspeaker may be used also as a microphone, but presumably not at the same time that it is used as a loudspeaker. Japanese published Utility Model 59-56586, discloses a wristwatch radio receiver with a receptacle embedded in one strap end for receiving a connection jack for an earphone which may be used while the wrist instrument is still attached to the wrist.
It would be desirable to have a mobile radiotelephone to be easily carried on the person and used as a wristwatch when it is not needed as a telephone. It would also be desirable to provide a miniaturized portable telephone which could be carried on the person without taking up room in clothing, purse or briefcase.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved wristwatch radiotelephone.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved miniaturized radio telephone which can be carried on the wrist and used for other purposes such as a timepiece.